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L SNEDDON.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTT-WELD PIPES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, 22. 1918.

1,351,348. Patented 31,1920.

5 SHEEYSSHEE1 l.

FIG. 1

WITNESSES INVE NTOR (Jo/m 5/76/40 l. SNEDDON. D APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTT-WELD PIPES. APPUCATIDN FILED NOV 22. 1918.

METHOD OF AN PE GY r a if 3 3 a Q WITNESS m S NdC 7, j V

J. SNEDDON. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTT-WELD PIPES. APPLICAHON FILED NOV- 22, 1918. 1,351,348, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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ll l lillllll INVENTOR L SNEDDON. METHDD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKiNG BUTT-WELD PIPES. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 22. ms.

Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

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J. SNEDDON.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTT-WELD PIPES.

APPUCATION FILED NOV 22- I918- 1,351,348. Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

1/0/27 Live/w? WITNESSES UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN SNEDDON, OF MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 NATIONAL TUBE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BUTT-WELD PIPES.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that I, Jenn Snnnnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at McKeesport, in the county of Alleghen and State of Pennsylvania, have inventetlcertain new and useful Improvements iii Methods of and Apparatus for Making Butt- \\'eld Pipes of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of butt-wcld pipes, in which long, narrow and relatively thin. fiat strips of wrought metal, known as skelp and as pipe ski-1p, while highly heated. are formed into hollow cylimlrical pipes. In making such pipes the skelp are successivelydrawn through a welding hell or plurality of bells. and are bent. and the abutting longitudinal edges of the bent skelp, being heated to a welding temperature, are forced into close contact with sullicient pressure to weld the abutting edges, the bending and welding operations being simultaneously effected in drawing the skelp through the weldingbell.

In so far as I am aware. in making butt weld pipc. it has been the universal practice heretofore to pull the pipe skelp through the welding hell on a line parallel with and in a vertical plane coincident with the line of travel of the endless draw chain of the draw bench. the welding hell or bellsbeing temporarily held in place against a stop on the furnace end of the draw bench.

It is necessary with such apparatus for each pipe to be entirely welded before welding of the next succeeding skclp can be commenced because the pipe being drawn interferes with the attaclnnent of the next pipe skclp to the draw chain. The result is that the welder after attaching the tongs to a heated skelp and applying the welding hell or pair of bells thcretof must wait until welding of the preceding pipe is completed before the reins of thc tongs on the next skelp can he placed in position for attachment to the traveling draw chain.

h'tatcd another way. with the apparatus heretofore used the distance between successi\'c points of attachment of the pipe tongs to the draw chain must be greater than the overall length of the pipe skelp and attached pipe tongs.

So that with all existent methods of making butt-weld pi'pes there is a momentary Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31. 1920.

loss or waste of time between the successive skelp drawing operations because the draw ing of each pipe skelp through the welding bell cannot be commenced until the welding of the preceding skelp is entirely completed and its rearend is pulled clear of the welding bell.

One object of my invention is to provide a novel method of making butt-wcld pipes whereby a material increase in the number of pipes welded in a given time interval is made possible without increasing the spccd at which the pipe sltelp are drawn through the welding bells.

-:\nother object of the invention is to prw ride a novel method of inakin butt'wcld pipes wherein the welding operation is simnl taneensly carried out on a plurality of pipe skelp on a single draw bench.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide novel apparatus for making butt-weld pipe having improved means whereby delays between successive pipe drawing operatious-are materially lessened and the ca pacity of the pipe drawing apparatus augmented.

A furthcr object of this invention is to provide pipe drawing apparatus having improved means whereby the successivc pipe are welded. and interference by a pipe skclp in process-.of welding with the movements of tlic welder in proceeding with the suc cceding pipe drawing operation, is avoided and overcome.

still further object of my invcntion is thc provision of pipe drawing apparatus having the novel constrlu'tions. arrange nicnts and combinations of parts shown in thc drawings and to be fully described hereinaftcr and particularl) pointed out in the appended claims.

llcferring now to the drawings. forming part of this specification. Figure l is a plan showing the rear end or half of a draw bench adapted for use in making butt-weld pipc.

Fig. 2 is a plan showing the front or furnace end of a draw bench adapted for use in carrying out my nnention. complete plan will he had by joinin Figs. land .2 on the lines X-X of these 'gures.

Fig. 3 is a plan. similar to that of Fig. 2. showing the front or furnace end of a modi tied form of draw bench made in accordance with m invention. A com lete plan will be had b oinin Figs. 1 an 3 on the lines X-X of these gures.

Fi 4 is a sectional side elevation showing the fiont or furnace end of the draw honor of Fig. 2.

Fi 5 is an end elevation on the line VV of Fig. 4, showing details in the construction of the pipe drawing apparatus of Figs. 1, 3, and 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional end elevation, similar to that of Fig. 4, showing details in the construction of the furnace end of the pipe drawing apparatus of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 IS an end elevation on the line \'IIV1I of Fig. 6 showing still further details in the construction of the apparatus of Figs. 3 and 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation showing one form of forked dog adapted for use with the draw chain of the draw bench in practising iny inwntionv Fig. 9 is an end elevation of the forked do of Fig. 8.

n the accompanying drawings the numeral t1 designates a skelp heating furnate. one end wall 3 of this furnace having, an outlet or doorway 4 through which the pipe skelp are drawn in the pipe welding operations. Ordinarily the rear end wall of the furnace (not shown) will have a similar doorway through, which the skelp are charged into the furnace to be heated.

Positioned in front of the discharge end 3 of the furnace is a draw bench 5, which extends horizontally in front of the furnace 2 and which is pivoted at its rear end so that. the furnace end oi the bench will swing from one side to thr other of the doorway t in the end wall of the furnace, this arrange ment enabling the ll rnace end of the draw bench to be moved i to position in line with each successively thfnvn skelp and avoiding i ig the position of the t rnace into a position bench. l p, however, it may the necessity of shil; heated skelp in the? in line with the draw With some sizes of .k be found desirable to sh he heated skelp sidewise within the furnl as well as inoringrthe swinging draw b l a.

he draw bench 5 whi l e tends lengthwise awny from the furnadi l 'rovidcd at one end with a chain driving 6 and at the other with a cl idler sprocket wheel 7 aroun l ich a constantly traveling endless draw uin extends, this draw chain being set tEd the cket wheel driven or sprocket wheel 6 and that portio th endless chain 8 supported on the u[ pe, faceof the draw bench moving away r n the front or furnace end toward ,thd ear end of the draw bench (in the direction dicated by the arrow in Figs. 4 and 6). l

shaft 6 for the sprocket wheel B'is eon nected by reducing gears 9 and 10 to the in.- ll

armature shaft ll of a viiriallle spelld electric driving motor 12, this motor being supported on a suitable foundation adjacent to the rear end of the draw bench. The length of the draw bench is so great and the arc of Swinging movement of its front end is so smal that the shaft 6" for the Sprocket wheel 6 also may be mounted in fixed been ing stands 13, 133 secured on a suitable foundation in the manner shown, instead of being on the rear end of the swinging draw bench. (See Fig. 1).

1n the particular apparatus shown, the length of the endless draw chain 8 will be. about eight -five feet and the distance be tween the vertical centers of the sprocket wheels 0 and 7 of course will be slightly less than one-hall the length of the draw chain.

ln recent years it has been the prartire to apply two l'orked books on the draw haiu, th books being spared at equidistant points in the lei'tgth oi therbnilnthesehooks brill; used in automatieally ngage with the button on the end of the tong reins and pull the tongs and a shelp in th grasp of the jaws of the tongs through a pair of \velding bells, o1- a single bell, in welding the. pipes. the tong reins being laid or placed immediately above and in pilinenient with the draw chain by the welder. in position to he engaged by the hooks after first. attaching the tongs to a heated skelp and positioning the bells or hell on the tong reins.

in my improved apparatus the. length of the draw chain and draw bench 5 may be the same as heretofore, but a series of forked books 14 is provided on the draw chain. as many as ten hooks being used, so that. on an endless chain having a length of eigthy-live feet. the books .will be spaced ap" proximately eight and one-half feet apart. or very Illlltll less than the average length of the welded pipes, which is over twenty feet and still less than the combined length of a pipe skelp and attached pipe tongs.

'lhe forked hooks or dogs designated generally by the numeral 14, as will be seen in Figs. 8 and 9, are adapted to form a link in the endless draw chain. Projecting out wardly on one side at one end of these forked dogs are horns 47, 47, the horns be. ing separated so as to form a longitudinal tapering slot 4.8 therebetween. The slot is provided with a removable face plate 49 which also is provided with a vertically tapering slot 48, the slots being in register and being adapted to receive the button end 4 6 (if the tong reins in attaching the forked hooks to the tong reins for the pipe drawing 0 )eration. Ajpin 50 provides means for f tening the f" ce {plate in place on the cl gs. and tie edg' s of the face plate 49 age ll d bi as to tightly fit into the dovet il g love ormw between the contiguous t l l lllb faces of the horns 47. The ends of the body ortion of the hooks have counter-bored rivet oles 51 therein by which the forked hooks are attached to the adjacent links of the endless draw chain.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the front or swinging end of the draw chain 8 is provided with a revolving turret 15, which is made in sections and is operatively mounted on the front end of the draw bench 5 so as to turn on a horizontal axis. The turret has two series of slots on its eriphery to receiveand temporarily hol the welding bells 1G and 17 in position during the pipe drawing operations. Each of the slots 18 of one series is in alinement with a slot 19 in the other series, as is shown in Figs. 2, 4, and 5. Radial'slots 1!)" connect the slots 19 with the counterhored recess 15" in the rotary turret. For many years but a single welding bell was used in welding the pipes, but the more recent and preferred practice is to use two bells for each pipe, the first engaged hell bending and welding the pipe s| cl n and the second bell furthering the welding operation and slightly lessening thc.diametcr of the pipe emerging from the first engaged bell.

The turret 15 which revolves on a hori zontal shaft 15" held in fixed position on the carriage 33 at the swinging end of the draw bench 5 has an integral hub 20 on which a spur gear 20 is keyed or otherwise fastened. The spur gear 20 meshes with an idler spur gear 21 mounted on a horizontal shaft 22, and this idler gear 21 meshes with a spur pinion .23 which is keyed or otherwise fastened on a horizontal shaft Q-l that is rotatahl mounted on the end of the draw bench. One end of the pinion shaft 24 is provided with the intermittent gear 25 of 8 Geneva movement which is engaged by the linger gear 26 thereof. The finger gear is fastened on the horizontal worm-wheel 51121 ft 27 mounted on the end of the draw bench, and the shaft 27 has a wornrwheel 28 there on which is driven by a worm 29 connected to one end of the armature shaft 30 of the worm driving motor 31.

The motor 31 is mounted in operative position on a shelf or pad 32 on the carriage 33 at the front end of the draw bench 5, this carriage having anti-friction rollers 33 which travel on a suitable track El-l at the floor level of the pipe mill and support the front or furnace end of the draw bench. Preferably apush button 75 and automatic switch 76 are connected intocircuit with the motor 31, and the switch 76 is operated b v a cam 77 on the shaft 27. The push but: ton T5 and switch 76 are arranged so that a circuit is first made through the push button when it is temporarilp closed by the pulpit operator and the motor thereby started. The motor will then rotate the shaft 27 and cam 77 so as to permit the switch 76 to close. The circuit will then be completed through the switch 76 and the operator then releases the push button. The motor then continues to operate until the cam 77 again en ages the switch 76 when the motor circuit is automatically'broken and the motor stopped, although this arrangement of elec trical connections is not absolutely neceshe turret 15 is recessed or counterbored on one side, and secured in fixed position so as to extend into the counterbore 15" is an inclined shelf 35 bolted to the turret shaft 15" which does not rotate, this shelf receiv ing the bells 16 and 17 as they drop from the end of the welded ipes and discharging them on to the horizontal platform 36 which is located between the end of the draw bench 5 and adjacent front or discharge end of the welding furnace 52. (See Fig. l).

A donhl -acting fluid pressure cylinder 37 mounted on a suitable foundation 137 and having a piston rod 38 with its front cnd pivotally connected to the swinging end of the draw bench 5 is employed to move the draw bench in causing it to traverse or move across the width of the doorwa 4 in the discharge end of the welding furnace.

The draw bench is provided on one side with a conveyor 39 for returning the pipe tongs from the rear end to the front or furnace end of the draw bench and on the other side with a pipe conveyer 40 by which the welded pipes are moved away from along side the draw bench 5 into the bite of the sizing rolls (not shown}.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. l 3. and T. the draw bench 3 is provided with a draw chain H arranged to extend around sprocket wheels ti and T in the same manner as in the draw bench of Eigsv l. 2 4, and 5. in this construction. however. the revolving turret is omitted and a stationary welding bell support or holder 41 is provided between the furnace 2 and the front endI of the draw bench 5 at a point closely at jacent to the swinging end of the draw bench. The upper edge of this slipport is provided with a series of slots 42 and series of slots 43 for engaging with and holding the welding hells l6 and 17 used in the pipe drawing operations the slots 4; and 4-3 being in alinenient and two axially aliued hells preferably being employed in drawing each pipe with this apparatus also. Vertical slots -14 lead from the slots +3 to the horizontal platform 36 located between the bell holder -11 and end of the furnace 2. (See Fig. 6.)

In using the apparatus of Figs, 1. :2. 4. and 5, to carry out the improved method fluid pressure cylinder 37 until the pair of slots in the turret 15 in alinement with the traveling draw chain 8 is opposite the .articular skelp to be drawn or welded. he welder then attaches the 'aws of a air of pipe tongs 45 to the end oil a heated s elp A and after slipping a pair of the welding bells 16, 17 over the button end of the tong reins and fastening the tong reins in closed position with a link or shackle, lays the button end 46 of the tong reins in a position in line with and immediately above the traveling draw chain 8. In the meantime one of the series of hooks 14 on the endless traveling draw chain will engage with the button 46 on the end of the ton reins and will start to pull the tongs am? attached pi e skelp through the welding bells. At t ie com mencement of the pipe drawing operation the bells are moved against the abutment or stops formed by the slots 15 and 19 in the periphery of the turret. Immediately after the hook ll has taken hold ot' the tong reins, the turret will be revolved through part of a revolution so as to move the welding bells 1b, 17 throu h which the skelp is being drawn, out o? alineinent. with the direction of travel of the draw chain, 2'. a. into the position shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the turret 15 brings the next pair of slots l8, 19 in the turret into alinement with the draw chain. At the same time that the turret moves through part of a revolution the draw bench is swung slightly to bring the I draw chain 8 and the pair of slots in the turret now opposite. the draw chain into alineincnt with the next skelp A to be drawn.

The step by step rotary movement of the turret and swinging movement of the draw bench are controlled by another operator. This operator by closing the switch for starting the turret. driving motor 31 and manipulating the valve controlling the supply of fluid pressure to the cylinder 3?. simultaneously causes the turret to move on the draw bench and the draw bench to shift its position. The turret driving motor will, as has been stated, automatically stop when the next pair of slots 18 and 19 reaches a position in alinement with the draw chain.

The welder immediately after the chain hook H has engaged with the tong reins, proceeds to attach another pair of tongs 45 to the next. skelp A and after fastening the tongs in closed or skelp gripping position and threading a pair of the welding bells 1G. 17 on the tong reins, places the button end 40 of the tongs in position in line with and above the draw chain 8 in readiness to he engaged by the next hook 14 on the chain 8 that. appears on the. upper face of the draw bench as the chain travels around the sprocket wheel 7 on the furnace end of the bench.

As soon as the first pipe skelp has been drawn and the end of the tongs in the grasp of a forked hook of the draw chain reaches the rear end of the draw bench, the tongs are manually disengaged from the draw chain and are opened so as to release the welded pipe. The tongs are then )laced on the tongs conveyor 39 on one si e of the draw bench, which travels toward the front end of the bench and which returns the tongs to the front or furnace end of the draw bench into osition to be again used by the welder, an the pipe is rolled sidewisc to the pipe conveyer 40 on the other side of the draw bengh. t will be apparentthat with this apparatus the skelp are pulled through the welding bells in a vertical plane which is at a slight angle to the length of the draw chain in welding the skelp into pipes, and that as soon as a pipe drawing operation commences the way will be clear for the welder to attach a pair of tongs to another pipc skelp and to a hook 14 on the draw chain 8 and commence the forming or weld ing of another pipe. and that a. plurality I-l pipes may be simulta'heously drawn in tilset relation by my improved apparatus.

In practising "iny improved metho ll with the apparatus of Figs. 3, (i, and 7, tlqac steps will be the same as have been descrii ed, except that the draw bench 5 will be. shifted after engagement of the tongs &5 w h the hooks 14 on the draw chain tot movc the pipe being welded out of alinemont with the direction of travel of the draw chain and bring another set of the bell holding slots 42, 43 into position in line with l lt direction of travel of the draw chain in r adiness for the attachment of the pipe tings and the comnicnccnlcnt of another pipr drawing operation.

The advantages of n invention will be. apparent to those skil v. in the art. The provision of means \vlier'lyy a plurality of pipes can be drawn sin ultaneously by a single draw chain reduces-1 the time between the successive pipe dravviiit operations and avoids the delays h alretofdre necessary after the commencement of each pipe drawing operation to enablc the pipe being drawn to be completed bctora the next pipe skelp is attached to the diav bench.

The apparrtus is simple and is applicable for use with existing draw benches.

Many n idifications may be made in the (OllSll'llt'llt 1 and arrangement of the apparatns ,torm ng part of my invention without depar'ing From the invention. The method fornii 1;: part of my invention maybe car- 'ied 'ut with apparatus other than that 1 hown, and other changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 2-- I 1. Tlie'inethod of making butt-weld )ipe which consists in connecting one end of the heated pipe skelp to the traveling chain of a draw bench, and thereby pulling the skelp through a welding bell, and shifting the relative position of the draw chain and Welding bell to thereby move the chain sidewise out-of alinement with the axial center of said bell and into substantial alinement with another bell and to pull the skelp through said first bell in a path at an angle to the lengthwise center of the traveling draw chain inthe welding operation.

2. The method of making butt-weld pipe which consists in operativcly connecting a heated pipe skel p to the traveling draw chain of a draw bench, to draw the she] p through a welding'bell, and then causing a relative sidewise movement of said bell and draw chain to thereby aline said chain with a second bell and to draw said skelp through said first named bell, in a path at an angle to the lihe of travel of the draw chain in the welding operation.

3. In the manufacture of buttweld pipes, the steps consisting in attaching the pipe tongs to the travelingdraw chain of a draw bench having a series of welding bell holders, after applying a welding bell to one of said holders, and shifting the position of the draw bench relative to the'welding bell after attachment of thetongs to the draw chain to thereby draw the attached skelp through the welding bell in a path at an angle to the line of travel of the draw chain and to aline the draw chain with another bell holder in said series of holders.

4. Pipe drawing apparatus comprising a draw bench having an endless continuously moving draw chain thereon, a series of forked dogs having endless travel with the draw chain and adapted to engage the end of the tongs while the chain is traveling to pull the skelp through the welding bell, a welding bell, a bell support adapted to simultaneously hold a plurality of bells in pipe welding position, and means for relatively adjusting the draw bench and bell holder to move the bell when in welding engagement with a pipe skelp out of alinement with the traveling draw chain. i i

5. In a pipe drawing apparatus a draw bench, an endless draw chain having travel thereon, bell holder at one end of the draw bench, skelp engaging tongs, means havingv endless travel with the draw chain adapted to engage the end of said tongs while the chain is traveling and pull the skelp through the welding bell, and means for causing a relative movement of the draw bench and bell holder to shift the position oi the welding bell on the bell holder relative to the traveling draw chain after engagement of the hell with the skelp.

6. Pipe drawing apparatus having tongs by which the skelp is gripped and drawn through welding bells, comprising a draw bench having an endlesschain, means for actuating said chain, means adapted to automatically engage with the tong reins to draw skelp gripped by the tongs lengthwise over the draw bench, a multiple welding bell arated intervals on the \draw chain adapted.

to automatically engage with the tong reins and draw pipe skelp gripped by the tongs lengthwiseover the draw bench, said means being spaced on the draw chain at a distanceless than the length of the pipe skelp, and means for relativel moving the draw bench and bell holder to s ift the pipe being drawn out of the path of movement of the holding means on the draw chain.

8. In a pipe drawing apparatus, an endless moving draw chain, a serles of forked dogs.

carried b said chain, a plurality of welding bells, an means associated with said chain and said bells whereby they may be moved relatively to permit of simultaneously drawin a plurality of pipes in ofiset relationship. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN SNEDDON. 

